Posts Tagged ‘ecstasy’

I haven’t yet written a background blog to my latest Fairfax Feature, Dancing With Molly. If you happen to have come to my page as a result of that article, please have a quick look at a couple of relevant earlier posts:

Why politicians and law enforcement should embrace Silk Road – to me, this is a microcosm of what life might be like with legalised drugs. Knowledge of what is in the drugs you are buying, cutting out drug-related crime in Australia (though sadly still propping it up overseas), eradication of violence arising from drug deals.

I hope to see an intelligent debate on drug reform in Australia. The fine folk at Australia21 must be incredibly frustrated to see their hard work and extensive knowledge ignored by the major parties.

Yesterday the Australian Institute of Criminology released a report that independently verified what they had already been told by users themselves: when ecstasy is not available, recreational drug users turn to crystal meth.

Your dunny might be telling tales on you

The verification came from an analysis of sewerage water from a municipality in Queensland. “Estimates were made of the average daily dose and average daily street value per 1,000 people. On the basis of estimated dose and price, the methamphetamine market appeared considerably stronger than either MDMA or cocaine.”

Online drugs marketplaces are far better than the current alternative.

The author outside a perfectly innocent restaurant

Despite what certain newspapers and ‘current affairs’ shows would have you believe, the vast majority of drug users – even chronic drugs users – are happy, non-violent people who hold down regular jobs. They don’t take drugs because there’s something lacking in their lives. They take them because they enjoy them and because most recreational drugs don’t put the imbiber out of control like, say, alcohol. And are far less likely to kill users than, say, tobacco.

The so-called ‘war on drugs’ has been a complete failure. This is the opinion of pretty much all the people who ought to know – drug researchers, health professionals, former premiers, a former national police chief and former Defence Department chief Paul Barratt. It seems the only people who don’t think so are politicians who need to appear ‘tough on crime’ to procure the votes of shock jock listeners who believe that all drug users are junkies ready to steal their wallet for their next fix. Oh, and criminals. Criminals don’t want prohibition lifted.